You are going to be spared the other four photos. Trust me, you’re not missing anything at all. But the other awards of recognition went to:

Courtney, who managed to get the most sponsorship money of all of us: £242! And she received a whole box of American candy just for herself.

Maggy received a signed book in recognition of her hard work on the avatars (right up to the last minute) and also for her willingness to rent minibuses, drive long distances, collect people (and Toreyopoly games!) from all over the north of England and take responsibility for our youngest Sheep Walkers, including camping with them in a very wet field, so that they could attend.

Zoe received a signed book in recognition of her hard work with the photographs, including being willing to do it all at her own expense so that all the money could be donated to the NSPCC. It looks like our £5 registration fee is going to help cover the costs, but Zoe has been very generous with both her time and money.

And, last but certainly not least, Chelly, our “girl on the ground in Cornwall” without whom none of this would have gone as smoothly. Chelly planned walks, drove them, checked them out. She found accommodation for everyone at all ranges of prices, even though it was a bank holiday and Cornwall is such a major tourist area. She met everyone off their trains, planes and cars and made sure everyone was settled and if anything went wrong, she was the first person we called. And despite her own handicap, she came each day, shadowing us with her car and making sure that she was at all the check points along the way in case anyone needed help or couldn’t complete the walk. We really couldn’t have done it without you, Chell.

So, major thanks to these five very selfless people.

But just so we didn’t get too serious, it was at this point that Tola – completely randomly – announced that she had eaten ALL her Pop Rocks. And they have given her a blue tongue.

So, it seemed like a good time to crack out the rest of the American candy.

I passed one box to Maggy for the kids to eat in the minivan on the way home and another box to the people staying at the Longboat Hotel (which was just about everyone,) thinking they could take it back for a midnight feast.

But no. Even though we had had Pop Rocks, dinner and ice cream with dulce de leche, the boxes of candy came open, the Longboat Hotel bunch had their candy open in minutes. Chelly comes over to see what the other table is missing. Carline kindly shows her.

Zoe, Helene and Mikko get in the act, picking those little blue dot candies off their strip of paper.

And then . . . I’m afraid we found the candy cigarettes . . . American Flock, we’re holding you entirely responsible for corrupting Courtney. And Carline. And Lubey. And Susan . . . (Amazing how amusing adults can find candy cigarettes!)

Tola had one last trick up her sleeve. Unbeknownst to the rest of us, she too had risen to the Pop Rocks challenge and brought her own “interesting” candy - Swedish “salt liquorice fish” candy. In other words, it was very black, shaped like a fish and tasted of a very interesting combination of salt and liquorice.

But I am game. And may I say, how interesting it is!

And Mark was not to be outdone.

(And beware, Claire, the fish are coming your way, I hear!)

By this time, however, it was getting late and some members of our party were beginning to show it.

So at last we said our good-byes and that was the end of the night.

I need to finish this by saying this was one of the most astonishing experiences I’ve ever been involved in. From the moment it was conceived, it has run smoothly. Each person who could do something came forward and did it. There was no politics, no in-fighting, no “I don’t want that job” or “I wanted to do that and you gave it to someone else.” And more than that, everything actually got done. There was no chasing-up, no double-checking, no staying up in the wee hours to do something someone else had said they'd do and didn't. It was just simply amazing seeing it all come together, because while my name is on it, I was only a small cog in the wheel. If ever there was a group effort, this was it. And this was the astonishing part of it – seeing so many people of so many backgrounds, ages, experiences, nationalities all come together and work as one.

And this same thing held true once we were all here and everything was underway. There was no factioning, no cliques, no politics. There were the usual problems – rain, accidents, missed directions – but none of it interfered with what really has been three days of just incredibly good fun.

And, yes, I definitely want to do it again next year. We’re thinking of Hadrian’s Wall next year. I think keeping it in Britain for a second year is a good idea, as it will allow us to refine the logistics. And if that works, we’re hoping for Sweden in 2008. So pencil it into your calendars and we’ll hope many more THBB-ers can participate in the future.

So that’s it. The Sheep Walk 2006 is finished.

Oh, and by the way, from what had started out as nothing more than a few people from a small community in cyberspace wishing they could make a difference, the NSPCC now has £3655 more to carry on their work protecting vulnerable and abused children.